THE RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN
ADVANCING THE CONSERVATIVE CAUSE
Vol. 1 – No. 8
October 2017
Rhea County Republican Party Executive Committee
Keith Flatness, Chairman
Bitsy Gryder, Vice Chairman
Donna Taylor, Secretary
Sheila Larson, Treasurer
Larry Pendergrass, Vice Treasurer
Linda Pendergrass, Past Chairman
Marv Keener, Chaplain
Gary Drinkard, Parliamentarian
Jim Murphy, PAC Chair
OCTOBER MEETING
The October meeting will be held on Thursday, 5 October, at 7:00 PM, at the Rhea County Sheriff’s Training Center, 711 Eagle Ln, Evensville, TN. We look forward to seeing you there!
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
[No comments were offered by the Chairman by the release date. – Editor]
MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING
August 3, 2017
There was no meeting in July. The August 2017 meeting was called to order by Chairman Keith Flatness, at 7:00 PM.
Marvin Keener led us in prayer and Joe Gryder led us in the Pledge of Allegience.
Joe Paige was recognized as a guest.
The minutes of the June 2017 meeting was read by Donna Taylor, Secretary. Correction of the Treasurer’s Report was made changing the balance reported from $1,915.04 to $11,915.04 because of a typing error. Linda Pendergrass made the motion to accept the [revised] report, second by Marvin Keener. The motion passed.
Treasurer’s Report was given by Sheila Larson, with a balance of $12,849.80. Kris Bancroft made the motion to accept, Laura Travis seconded and the motion passed.
James Murphy gave the PAC report with the account balance remaining at $594.00. Bitsy Gryder moved to accept the report, second by Larry Pendergrass. The motion carried.
The Thank You letter to President Donald Trump that was discussed at our June meeting was sent and a reply was received which was read to the group by Bitsy Gryder.
Announcements: Speaker of the House, Beth Harwell, and Congresswoman Diane Black have announced they are running for Governor of Tennessee, along with several others.
Kris Bancroft gave the Legislative Report and talked about several bills that were posted in his newsletter. Kris said [the newsletter] is the forum for members to get information out. Please send any news to him. Kris also said that [Elmer] Harris is working on the website update.
Old Business – Joe Gryder gave his final report on the Reagan Day Dinner. A copy is attached to the Minutes.
New Business – After a discussioin, Joe Gryder moved, seconded by Kris Bancroft, to pay $75.00 annually to join the Chamber of Commerce. The motion carried. We will need someone to attend their breakfast meetings and others for networking purposes.
The Republican Party does not have to have a primary or a caucus. They only have to get together and decide on candidates to run in the General Election. There was much discussion about this [matter.] Joe Gryder moved to request the Election Commission to hold a primary, second by Ron Travis, the motion carried. Ron is going to check on this and bring us information to our September 7 meeting.
Keith Flatness’ joke of the month was enjoyed by all.
Meeting adjourned at 8:35 PM.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Southeast Bank
Account Number 1005552
Statement Dates 1 July – 31 July 2017
Previous Balance 12,851.39
Deposits/Credits 00
Checks (1) – Debits (0) 100.00
Service Charge .00
Interest Paid 1.62
Ending Balance 12,753.01
COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
Readers are always encouraged to offer commentary or share items of interest in the Rhea County Republican –Editor.
Diane Bederman, one of our Canadian readers, offers the following:
As a Jewish grandmother with nine grandchildren, I fear for their future. Not from the right. One thing I know is the position of the KKK and the Nazis. The left is spreading hate under a veil that has been provided by the media. They talk about free speech but prevent it. And the media says nothing.
The left, the Democratic Party, of today is filled with antisemitism. From Linda Sarsour to BLM and of course the two leaders of the DNC. Yet hardly a word or a murmur. The left is filled with people who will not condone the free exchange of ideas. The left is filled with young people demanding a “safe space.” Think about that. Demands for a safe space in America. The whole country is supposed to be free. The name free spaces is an oxymoron. They are not free to all. They are segregated spaces, free of free speech.
The attacks on the right need to be stopped. And the attacks from the left must be exposed for what they really are. Attacks on freedom itself.
Ms. Bederman is an author and hosts a blog at http://dianebederman.com/ . Information about her latest book “Reclaiming Western Values” can be found athttps://www.amazon.com/Back-Ethic-Reclaiming-Western-Values/dp/1927618053/ .
Joe Paige, RCRP Member offers the following:
This month I would like to begin a series of essays on the subject of Conservatism.
As a Constitutional Conservative I believe that true Conservatism, at every level of government is the last, best chance to save our great nation. We have tried liberalism, socialism, progressivism, moderation, bi-partisanship, and compromise, but what has it gotten us?
[We are] $20 trillion in debt, over $160 trillion in unfunded liabilities, suffocating regulation, an ever expanding and unsustainable welfare state, a phony economy limping along, an assault on private property rights, and all these just scratch the surface.
The one thing our country has never tried is unvarnished, unapologetic Conservatism, for one simple reason. Selling the Conservative philosophy, especially at the local level, is difficult.
As Conservatives, we must occasionally vote against our own self-interest to preserve the “good of the whole.” Contrast this with the liberal/progressive ideology of everything for everyone. This behavior is often put forth as a way to advance the common good, but in reality, what it has done is to create a nation of serfs, beholden to a government that controls every facet of our lives.
There seems to be a lot of confusion, especially in the Republican Party, as to what actually constitutes a Conservative, so I think defining a Conservative philosophy would be a good place to start.
[Joe Paige’s comments will be continued in the next two editions of the Rhea County Republican. – Editor]
Norman Bobo, a reader from Franklin, TN offers the following:
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Justice, an audit of expenditures during 2014 through 2016, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security inappropriately used $112,614 in asset forfeiture funds on catering a luncheon, banquet tickets, and retail food. These expenditures are among numerous items purchased by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security that fell in the category of inappropriate expenditures.
A report on DOJ’s findings of the misuse of funds by Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security is available at http://oig.justice.gov/reports/2017/g4017006.pdf
The DOJ report also noted that the state Department of Safety “had no procedures for tracking and reconciling equitable sharing requests to receipts and had no separately designated account for expenditures.”
“Additionally, the Department submitted Equitable Sharing Agreement and Certification Reports for FY 2014 to 2016 that were not sighed by the Department of Safety or State of Tennessee officials, and the FY 2014 report was submitted 19 days late” the report said.
The Civil Asset Forfeiture law allows law enforcement to confiscate assets from persons or businesses merely accused of a crime and law enforcement, and other governmental agencies, are not required to reimburse persons or businesses if they are found innocent of those crimes for which they have been accused.
Some Libertarians and conservatives have pushed for forfeiture reform to prevent incentivizing seizing assets believed to be connected to a crime. Assets can be seized without indictments or much evidence and in all cases are nearly impossible to recover.
BRIAN TROYER a friend from Apple Creek, Ohio shares the following:
If the Left wants to keep alienating the rest of America, one good way is to keep trying to tell us that protesting the flag and the National Anthem is really an expression of patriotism and not disrespect. It isn’t and it insults our intelligence to tell us we have to treat it as if it were. It insults our dignity as people tell us we have to see your protests as something other than what they are.
There is nothing ambiguous about what kneeling instead of standing for the flag and the National Anthem mean. It is an expression of contempt for our country that flag symbolizes. It is a public sign of rejection. While everyone else stands to honor the flag, you kneel to dishonor it. You kneel to say the country and its flag do not deserve your honor, reverence, and loyalty. You reject them as unworthy. You reject us. You reject our history, our heritage, and our values. You kneel to show contempt for the United States of America.
This country gives you the freedom to do that. It also gives the rest of us to criticize your actions. The freedom to turn off your games and say “NO” to you. The freedom to say the truth about your actions and what they tell us about you. And the truth is, you don’t love or respect our flag or our country. That is the whole point you are communicating. We hear you; we see you. You aren’t expressing some kind of “tough love.” You are choosing the one occasion when Americans of all kinds join together in a simple act of honoring their flag and their country to publicly say “No, I will not honor them.”
Don’t speak, then, out of both sides of your mouth. Don’t try to have it both ways. Don’t try to tell us we don’t understand, or that we have to honor your words and actions as something they aren’t. Have the courage and integrity to be truthful about it. And please don’t try, like Roger Goodell, to tell us that President Trump or we are the ones suddenly being divisive, because we aren’t listening to that anymore.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
According to an article published by Judicial Watch, an alarming number of corrupt state officials have been selling counterfeit documents to illegal aliens. The article is found at the following link:
MESSAGES FROM OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
Congressman Scott DesJarlais – 5 September 2017
Any solution to illegal immigration must include border security and domestic law enforcement, and Congress must write the law. For that reason, federal courts struck down the former president’s unconstitutional orders. I support: Kate’s Law; defunding sanctuary cities; a border wall, and; a legal, merit-based immigration system that works better for American citizens, workers, and taxpayers. Our focus should be Americans who are out of work, underpaid, or concerned for their safety because of unfettered illegal immigration and border crime.
Congressman Scott DesJarlais – 7 September 2017
Last month, ten sailors lost their lives when the USS John McCain collided with a merchant vessel in the Pacific, just weeks after a similar collision involving the USS Fitzgerald, which claimed the lives of seven sailors. This summer, 42 service members died in on-duty accidents, one event involved a military plane crashing in Mississippi, where 15 Marines and one Sailor were killed.
The USS McCain and USS Fitzgerald accidents are more warning signs that our military readiness crisis is deepening. It is imperative we learn from our mistakes and provide our fighting men and women with all the resources they need to defend our country and to ensure they return home safely to their families. Our job in Congress is to protect our military members so they can protect us abroad.
State Senator Ken Yager released the results of a survey he conducts once each term.
Approximately 73,000 surveys were mailed to his constituents who are registered voters.
54% indicated they agreed with Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act.
66.5% indicated that Governor Haslam’s “Insure Tennessee” plan would help provide better access to healthcare.
The responses for and against a school voucher program was split with those in favor of school vouchers at 43.4% while those against school vouchers counted at 43.5%.
Senator Yager indicated the school voucher program will come to a vote again in the General Assembly.
78% of the respondents favored the use of the death penalty when it involves murder with aggravating circumstances.
58.5% of respondents favored the use of marijuana for medical purposes while 24% supported the use of marijuana for recreational purposes.
Senator Yager stated he could support a medical marijuana bill that is limited and specific—not the Colorado version. Senator Yager stated that he is “flatly opposed” to recreational use.
On outsourcing state services to private industry, e.g. to provide landscaping and maintenance for state properties, as a means to save money, 52% of respondents stated they were against the idea. Senator Yager informed his constituents that this issue would be revisited in the 2018 session.
Senator Yager has provided his website address to enable his constituents to see the full results of the survey; the link is as follows:
http://www.kenyager.com/constituent-survey-results
He invites constituents to contact him on issues of concern at sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov
[This report was derived from an article appearing in the 10 September 2017 edition of the Herald News.]
RANDOM THOUGHT
September 14, 1814 – Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem “Defense of Fort McHenry” (later to be known as “The Star Spangled Banner”), after witnessing the American flag flying over the Maryland fort, following a night of British naval bombardment during the war of 1812.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Highlights on legislative actions over the past month.
23 August –
President Trump signed into law HR 2288, which streamlines the process for veterans seeking services at VA hospitals.
6 September –
Scott DesJarlais voted to pass HR 500, contingent to HR 3354. The measure passed by a vote of 233/187. HR 500 is a component of HR 3354 which, when passed, will provide funding for the Department of the Interior for fiscal year 2018. This Resolution is currently in a state of flux with numerous amendments being considered as additions, changes, and deletions and must come up for a final vote before 30 September. This Resolution, with its Amendments, are of concern to the people of Tennessee, since through the Department of the Interior comes funding for flood control on the Tennessee River, and the construction of new and much-needed locks to enable the safe passage of river traffic. Those not supported by Congressman DesJarlais have included funding studies on the habitats of various non-threatened marine species.
7 September –
Senator Corker is the sponsor of S. 1631 – Department of State Authorities Act of 2018. The Act contains significant language on improves stewardship of classified information and requires various divisions within Department of State to produce annual reports and audits confirming their performance in key areas. The text of the Act can be found at: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s1631/text?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
Senator Alexander voted “Yea” while Senator Corker voted “Nay” on an agreement to consider HR 601 – Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act. The motion passed by a vote of 80/16, and it was sent back to the House for a final vote.
RANDOM THOUGHT
Isn’t it weird that our flag insults so many people but our benefits don’t?
8 September
Scott DesJarlais voted “Nay” on HR 601 – Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act. The Act passed by a vote of 316/90. The Act, in its final form, amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide additional congressional direction and scrutiny over U.S. assistance in developing countries for the promotion of quality basic education.
Specifically, the bill updates the legislative authority for U.S. international basic efforts to ensure that existing resources are effectively prioritized and aligned with U.S. foreign policy and economic interests. The bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop a strategy to work with partner countries and organizations to promote education in developing countries, and designates a Senior Coordinator of U.S. International Basic Education Assistance (while simultaneously eliminating an existing and comparable position) within USAID.
[In the way of keeping readers informed of activities relating to their concerns regarding the DREAM Act amnesty, Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX – 21stDistrict) introduced the Legal Workforce Act. The bill would require all employers to use E-Verify on most new hires within two years. The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill in each of the last three years but the Speaker of the House has repeatedly failed to bring it up for a vote.]
HR 3354 is a bill to provide funding for a Continuing Resolution to fund the government through the coming fiscal year. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced House Amendment 356, which would cut government spending by 1% across the board. Scott DesJarlais voted to include the Amendment in HR 3354. The Amendment failed by a vote of 156/248. Numerous other Amendments have been offered to the Continuing Resolution but none in Congress have introduced legislation that would make operating the government within the constraints of a budget mandatory.
RANDOM THOUGHT
“We don’t have a trillion dollar debt because haven’t taxed enough, we have a trillion dollar debt because we spend too much.” Ronald Reagan, c. 1980.
11 September –
An article appearing in The Hill reported that House Amendment 126, to HR 3354 – Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act – was passed today.
The amendment was introduced by Justin Amash (R-MI), and cosponsored by a bipartisan group of nine Representative, including Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), and others. This amendment will place limitations on Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ expansion of the Civil Asset Forfeiture powers.
Civil asset forfeiture is a practice in which law enforcement can take assets from an individual who is merely suspected of a crime, that is, even without a formal charge being filed.
AG Jeff Sessions, who has long been a vocal advocate of the Civil Asset Forfeiture program, had sought to restore and strengthen the Justice Department’s Equitable Sharing Program, which allowed state and local police departments to take assets and then give them to the federal government. The federal government would then return a portion of those assets to the local law enforcement entities. This practice served as a means by which local law enforcement departments could skirt past state laws designed to limit asset forfeiture.
Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) reached across the aisle to voice support for Amash’s efforts. “Civil Asset Forfeiture, without limits, presents one of the strongest threats to our civil, property, and constitutional rights. It creates a perverse incentive to seek profits over justice.”
The amendment passed with a voice vote, meaning it had overwhelming support.
[It is crucial to note that not only does Civil Asset Forfeiture practices not require an individual to be formally charged with a crime but there is no guarantee that the assets confiscated by law enforcement will be returned to the individual even if they are fully exonerated. This makes Civil Asset Forfeiture a clear infringement upon a citizen’s rights under the 4th Amendment! – Editor.]
RANDOM THOUGHT
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. 4th Amendment, Constitution of the United States of America.
13 September –
HR 2810 – National Defense Authorization Act of 2018, has been forwarded to the Senate for mark-up. Senators Alexander and Corker are presently considering various amendments to the Act. Expectations are that the typical practice of trading inclusions of non-related Amendments (“pork”) to the yearly National Defense Authorization Act, in return for a vote of support for the legislation will again be the modus operandi.
Scott DesJarlais has voted in support of HR 513, providing for consideration of HR 3697, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act, with respect to aliens associated with criminal gangs, and for other purposes. This resolution would require the deportation of illegal aliens who have committed additional crimes since illegally entering the United States. The resolution passed by a vote of 222/186.
The debate continues over HR 3354 – a bill to provide funding for the Department of the Interior. As of this date, there have been more than 155 amendments submitted for consideration.
Scott DesJarlais voted “Yea” on HR 3697 – Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act. The bill passed by a vote of 233/175. Currently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must wait for a criminal conviction to deport a foreign gang member. In remarking on the passage of HR 3697, Congressman DesJarlais offered the following statement: “The primary duty of the federal government is to keep our citizens safe. In order to protect Americans from violent foreign gang members, we must provide ICE with the tools they need to detain and remove them. We cannot tolerate foreign nationals victimizing and intimidating innocent Americans.’
18 September –
Senator Corker voted “Nay” while Senator Alexander voted “Yea” on HR 2810 – National Defense Authorization Act of 2018. The bill passed by a vote of 88/8.
The bill authorizes $613.8 billion in base funding, including a $28.5 billion increase above the President’s budget for essential readiness recovery. Further, the bill authorizes $10 billion in the Overseas Contingency Operations fund (OCO) for base requirements, and an additional $64.6 billion in the OCO fund to cover contingency operations. When Factoring in $7.5 billion for mandatory defense spending, a total of $695.9 billion is authorized to be appropriated.
[This is one of the better NDAA bills that have been constructed in more than a decade; it decreases the number of money-wasting bureaucratic hurdles in the acquisition of off-the-shelf items, provides for much more accountability in the acquisition of materiel and military hardware, and will slow down – if not stop – the money leakages from the Pentagon. Readers are encouraged to examine the details at the following links. – Editor]
A detailed report on the provisions of this bill can be found at the following link: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2017/s199?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
A summary of the Chairman’s mark of HR 2810 can be found at the following link:
http://docs.house.gov/meetings/as/as00/20170628/106123/hmkp-115-as00-21070628-sd001.pdf
19 September –
Senator Corker introduced S 1848 – An original bill to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, to modify the criteria for determining whether countries are meeting the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, and for other purposes. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which will consider it before sending it to the floor for a vote. Senator Corker is the Chairman of the committee.
Senators Alexander and Corker voted “Yea” on PN 299, nominating Noel J. Francisco, of Washington D.C. to be Solicitor General of the United States. The nomination was confirmed by a vote of 50/47.
20 September –
The vote on the latest version of the Senate bill to repeal and replace 0bamacare was cancelled due to lack of support.
25 September –
Senator Bob Corker announced that he would not seek reelection. According to one poll, his approval rating among Tennesseans had dropped to 18%.
26 September –
Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced Healthcare Tax Relief Act. The bill has numerous cosponsors including Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), James Inhofe (R-OK), and John Barrasso (R-WY).
Senator Gardner said: “My legislation delays a tax that, once implemented, would lead to even higher costs for Coloradans. President 0bama promised that this law would drive down costs, and this tax is just another example of how that’s not even close to being reality.”
According to policy think-tank American Action Forum, if implemented, the Health Insurance tax would increase premiums as much as $5,000 over a decade. It would also directly impact approximately 11 million households that purchase insurance through individual market and another 23 million households that have insurance through their employer.
28 September –
Steve Scalise (R-LA) was welcomed back to the House of Representatives today with a standing ovation from both sides of the aisle. He spoke for 14 minutes and offered thanks to those who helped him during the July shooting, and throughout his recovery process. Nancy Pelosi spoke on behalf of the Democrats and her message revealed her capacity to show warmth and compassion to others.
RANDOM THOUGHT
There is always more goodness in the world than there appears to be, because the goodness is of its very nature modest and retiring. – Evelyn Beatrice Hall (28 September 1868 – 1956.)
EDITORIAL
Today, we find ourselves inundated and overwhelmed by the laws (and regulations that carry the weight of law) that have been passed by the various levels and entities of government. It is undeniable that we may at some time find ourselves having run afoul of some obscure law, and, therefore, subject to suffering the penalty prescribed therein. We may be charged and brought to trial even though we hadn’t the slightest inclination that we had violated said laws or regulations. While this may serve as the premise for an argument that a review of all laws currently on the books is needed, no such review should be necessary when it comes to laws that are sanctioned by the Constitution, or those emanating from an interpretation of the Constitution, that have had long standing in the U.S. Codes.
It is the argument over those transitory laws, e.g. drug use, the adoption of children, the sugar content of non-alcoholic beverages, and the like that has opened the door to arguments over the validity of our fundamental laws.
One of the fundamental and long standing set of laws under debate today is found in Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1324, the laws which classify entering the United States by means other than those prescribed by law as a felony, and those laws that classify the act of aiding individuals who have, or may wish to, illegally enter or remain in the United States as a felony. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title8/pdf/USCODE-2011-title8-chap12-subchapII-partVIII-sec1324.pdf
In 2006, a presentation given by a representative from the Department of Homeland Security informed the audience that the “official number” (that number which can be reasonably verified) of persons illegally residing in the United States to be in the neighborhood of 18,000,000, but the presenter’s main point was the confidence level of that number was very nearly 0%! The presenter was quick to point out that the total number of illegal residents at that time was most likely to be in the neighborhood of 31,000.000! After President Bush signed yet another amnesty deal the official number reported by DHS fell to 9.1 million.
We now have the government reporting the number of residents who have come to the U.S. by other than legal means and are included in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to be verifiably estimated at 800,000. In other words, the actual number of “dreamers” our government is willing to own up to could as easily be 1,600,000!
In the debate over DACA, which is a part of the DREAM Act amnesty scheme, there are two arguments being advanced today regarding the proper application of our laws. One argument might be defined as that emanating from the legal purist perspective, and the other emanating from the perspective of those who would claim a moral precedent demands that we give amnesty to more illegal aliens.
The legal purist would point out that either all of our laws must be enforced to the letter of their meaning or none of our laws are valid. Those who ascribe to this argument point out that since so many of our laws go unenforced there exists a de facto state of anarchy in our country and if our government continues to fail in enforcing our laws the degree of de facto anarchy will grow exponentially until a full state of anarchy exists.
Those who take the moral position suggest that a law may go unenforced if there is some “moral” reason as to why it should not be enforced. Their claim regarding DACA is these “children” (some of whom are in their mid-twenties) deserve our compassion—that we are morally obligated to provide them with all the things necessary for them to flourish.
On average, the government reports tell us the total outlay to provide each of these “children” with housing, food, medical care, dental care, transportation, education (up through junior college or trade school and in some cases a four-year degree), and legal counsel (should they be arrested for committing a crime?) averages $1,800 per month, or $21,600 per year.
If the actual number of “children” covered under DACA is reported to be 800,000, it means the taxpayers are subjected to the confiscation of an extra $1.44 billion dollars every month – that’s $17.28 billion per year to pay for the welfare of DACA “children.”
This estimated outlay of our tax dollars for DACA seems consistent with a Heritage Foundation white paper that reports the average benefits paid to households headed by an illegal alien is, according to 2010 U.S. Census figures, $24,721 per year.
The Brookings Institute is one of that group taking what they claim to be the “moral” side of the argument; they claim it would cost $10 billion to deport DACAs and are quick to remind us doing so would split up families. They also claim the “Dreamers” pay as much as $2 billion per year in taxes but fail to acknowledge that many of them work for cash at lower than standard wage and pay no taxes. Even so, if the “Dreamers” paid $2 billion per year in taxes, their “contribution to society” would still represent a colossal deficit.
In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that households headed by illegal aliens paid $10,334 in taxes. Subtracting those tax figures from the amount of benefits received, one is left with a net deficit of $14,387 per illegal alien household. If there are, as was reported in 2010 by the US Census Bureau, 9.1 million households headed by illegal aliens, the net deficit of benefits allocated and taxes paid is $130,921,700,000.
Please keep in mind that the costs associated with the other crimes committed by illegal aliens – robbery, murder, assault, court costs to defend illegal aliens for these crimes, and their subsequent incarceration — is an additional cost!
If the moralists’ view is equitably applied, one must ask why it is moral to force citizens to pay more than $1.3 trillion to subsidize felons. Confiscation of the earnings of American citizens to pay for the presence of felons is not only immoral—it’s criminal!
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2017/09/07/the-mind-boggling-cost-of-daca-repeal/
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/homeland-security/322211-whos-paying-for-the-daca-program
There is, of course, a third “argument” for allowing illegal aliens to remain in our country and that comes from our own government. That argument is simple and shameful – our representatives in government refuse to uphold the laws of our land because they are both unwilling to do anything that might be considered “politically incorrect,” and our government is too dysfunctional to uphold our laws. This dysfunctionality and submission to political correctness will continue for so long as American citizens – voters – are willing to put up with it. Is it time then for American citizens to let our representatives know what we think?
[The report from the Heritage Foundation is one of the more comprehensive studies on the impact of illegal aliens one could ever expect to find. – Editor]
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Dinesh D’Souza commented “I think if we want to wipe out reminders of slavery, segregation, and white supremacy, we might consider getting rid of the Democrat Party.”
RANDOM THOUGHTS
One cannot long sit on the fence without being impaled by the pickets. (Quote attributed to James Rivington, York City Gazetteer, c. September 1777.
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
| President Donald Trump
The White House Washington D.C. 20500 Phone: (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461 |
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 40 – Suite 2 Washington D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 244-4944 Fax: (202) 228-3398 http://www.alexander.senate.gov http://alexander.senate.gov/contact.cfm
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| U.S. Senator Bob Corker
Dirksen Senate Office Building SD-185 Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3344 Fax: (202) 228-0566 http://corker.senate.gov/contact.cfm
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U.S Representative Dr. Scott DesJarlais
2301 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6831 Fax: (202) 226-5172
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| Governor Bill Haslam
Tennessee State Capitol Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-2001 Fax: (615) 532-9711 http://www.state.tn.us/governor
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Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House
https://www.speaker.gov/contact Link above provides all methods of contact.
Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=contact
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| State Representative Ron Travis
Suite G-3 War Memorial Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-1450
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State Senator Ken Yager
Suite G-19 War Memorial Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-1449 Fax: (615) 253-0237
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